Heater for internal-combustion engines



Jan. 18, 1927. 1,615,049

J. F. SLOAN HEATER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Feb. 15, 1926 Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

tin-area sra'rss JOHN F. SLOAN, OF PEORIA, ILLENOIS.

HEATER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed February This invention relates to heaters for in ternal combustion engines having water cooling systems.

in order to facilitate the starting of an internal combustion engine and to prevent the freezing of the water in the system in extremely cold weather, a heater unit is provided which maintains a normal circulation of water in the cooling system after the engine has stopped running.

it is well known to those skilled in the art, that sediment in the water is deposited in the heater and becomes encrusted or caked therein. in a comparatively short time the quantity of such deposit becomes so great as to prevent the water from coming in contact with the heating element and as a consequence the heating element becomes overheated and is burned out.

By experiment it has been found that the ordinary use of drain cocks is inadequate for the purpose of draining the sediment deposited in the heater even though the heat er be frequently d 'ained. This will be apparent when consideration is given to the fact that in draining the water out of the heater, a flow of water will remove only the loose sediment as there is substantially no pressure exerted to loosen the sediment that has adhered to any internal part of the water chamber.

This present invention teaches the use of the heater in the cooling system between the engine side of the pump and the lower far side of the water jacket of the engine. After the engine has been at rest, the starting thereofwill cause the pump to force water through the heater and flush out whatever sediment may have settled therein during its period of rest. The force of the water is at its maximum, being directly conneeted to the pump, and sediment, which ordinarily would have adhered to the heat-- ing element, is flushed therefrom.

A further feature of this invention in its association between the engine side of the pump and the lower far side of the water jacket is the substantial confinement of the circulation of the water within the water jacket. The water within the radiator requires just enough heat to keep it from freezing, whereas the water within the water jacket requires a goodly amount of heat to facilitate the starting of the engine. Therefore, as a result of this invention, a better distribution of heat within the cooling sys- 15, 1926. Serial No. 88,245.

tem is effected by means of a substantial concentration of heat within the water jacket 0f the engine and adjacent the cylinders thereof.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a heater unit in the water cooling system of an internal combustion engine which is so disposed therein as to keep the heater free from deposits of sediment.

A further object of this invention is to provide a heater unit in the water cooling system of an internal combustion engine which is so disposed therein as to facilitate the starting of the engine by means of a substantial concentration of heated water within the water jacket.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

The figure is a side elevation of an internal combustion engine and its associated parts showing my device mounted thereon.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the normal circulation of water through the cooling system is shown by arrows, the greater portion of the water leaving the radiator 10 through the flexible connection 11 into the pump 12, thence through the water jacket of the engine 13 and the upper flexible connection 14 back to the radiator.

A heater unit 15 is secured to the flange of the crank case and comprises a bottleshaped body portion 16 adapted to form the water chamber having an inlet and an outlet, and a heating element 17 disposed therein having a suitable electrical connection 18 which may be connected to any source of electric current.

The inlet of the heater 15 is connected by means of a conduit 19 to the connection 20 between the pump 12 and the water jacket 13. The outlet of the heater 15 is connected by means of a conduit 21, preferably to the lower portion of the water jacket 13 and at an extreme point from the ump.

hen the engine is at rest and the heater is in operation, the water in the heater is heated and rises to escape therefrom through the conduit 21 to the water jacket, which action draws cool water from the pump side of the water jacket through the conduit 19 into the inlet or lower portion of the heater. Although a portion of the water in the water jacket will rise to cause a circulation of water through the upper flexible connection 14 into the radiator 10 and back through the pump, the greater portion of water will circulate between the water jacket and heater by means of the conduits 1'9 and 21, thereby concentrating the heated water to the engine block to a great degree.

lVhen the engine is running and the heater is electrically disconnected, the pump forces the normal circulation of water through the radiator and water jacket of the engine as hereinbefore described and also forces a quantity of water through the conduit 19 into the heater causing a flushing thereof.

It will be apparent that the conduit 19 may be directly attached to the water pump 12 or to an adjacent part of the water jacket of the engine with substantially the same resultant action, and it is to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the exact structure shown or to the details thereof. Various other forms will be oh vious to one skilled in the art and consequently this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims and the prior art.

I claim:

1. The combination with the water cooling system of an internal combustion engine comprising a radiator, a water jacket, a supply pipe from the radiator to the water jacket, a return pipe from the water jacket to the radiator, and a pump in the supply pipe, of a heater, provided with a heating element for heating said water and having an inlet and an outlet, a conduit connecting said inlet with the discharge side of said pump, and a conduit connecting said outlet with the lower portion of the water jacket at the end remote from the pump.

2. The combination with the water cooling, system of an internal combustion engine comprising a radiator, a water jacket for the engine, a pump, a conduit leading from the upper part ot the water jacket to the radiator, a conduit from the lower part of the radiator to the pump, and a conduit leading from the pump to the water jacket, of a heater provided with a heater chamber, a first passage leading from the discharge side of the pump to said heater, and a second passage leading from the heater to the water jacket whereby, when the engine is runnin the pump will flush the heating chamber of sediment, and, when the engine is not running, the principal flow of water, due to the heating action, will be from the heater through the second passage to the water jacket and from the water jacket through the first passage to the heater.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN F. SLOAN. 

